Letter: Don't take the Bible out of context

The Bible I have is from St. James Catholic School in Arlington Heights. My dad and I were walking through the old school one last time before it was torn down to make way for the expanded church and parking lot. We were told we could take anything we wanted. My dad chose the Bible and gave it to me.

The verse the letter writer wrote about and quoted on July 16, 2022, from Deuteronomy 30:19 left out the key completion of the sentence.

It must be read with 30:20 as there is a comma separating the two verses. I don't know if the letter writer left out 30:20 on purpose or maybe they just didn't read the whole sentence.

Omitting 30:20 leaves out the very essence of the verses - and that part of the Bible. It is part of a larger theme that tells Israel if they are led astray and adore and serve other gods they will certainly perish.

Below contains the full sentence that is separated by a comma between 30:19 and 30:20, you will see the actual meaning is that we should choose life by loving the Lord, your God. It is not about abortion:

"I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life then that your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you to live on the land which the Lord swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

I am not a Bible scholar, but I can read and the July 16 letter writer needs to pull out her Bible again and reread that section. That is, if she chooses truth over lies.

Bible disinformation seems particularly abhorrent.

Mary Hahn

Arlington Heights